The Hollyrood campus of Beverly Cleary K-8 will continue serving peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, despite concerns from the parent of a child with a severe peanut allergy.

The Portland School Board on Monday voted 5-2 to strike down a request by board member Steve Buel to stop serving peanut butter at the Beverly Cleary campus in Northeast Portland. Buel, board member Tom Koehler and student representative Andrew Davidson all voted to approve the ban.

The discussion at Monday's board meeting asks a question that has been asked across the country: should schools be declared "peanut-free" zones to protect students with severe allergies?

View full sizeBuel on Monday tried to declare Beverly Cleary School a peanut-free zone, but the motion was struck down. Handout

Buel, who has tried for weeks to get the subject on the board's agenda, appeared incredulous to not get more support for his plan. Buel, who spoke with the parent of the child, pointedly asked administrators multiple times why it would be so difficult to stop serving peanut butter at the school, which has no cafeteria.

“All we’re doing is lowering the chance of this child dying, for almost no problem,” said Buel, who opened a jar of Skippy peanut butter while he spoke. “This is a very serious thing.”

Administrators, including Superintendent Carole Smith, said the district was following recommendations from some national experts who say that designating a school as "nut-free" could lull students into a false sense of security.

Smith said some national experts say it’s more dangerous to claim a school is “peanut-free” because you can’t actually ensure that.

“The national recommended practice is that you’re teaching someone to handle this in an environment that they’re in their entire life,” Smith said.

Administrators estimated it could cost more than $60,000 to replace the district's peanut butter sandwiches with other options, such as soy butter or "sun butter," which is made of sunflowers.

Jon Isaacs, senior policy adviser for Smith, also pointed out Hollyrood has a comprehensive plan to help deal with the student's peanut allergy.

Beverly Cleary, a K-8 school, is composed of two campuses. On the Hollyrood campus, which houses kindergartners and first graders, students eat in their classrooms because of overcrowding.

Lisa Newlyn, Hollyrood's assistant principal, said the school has been “very thoughtful” in responding to a student’s peanut allergy. Students who are allergic sit separately from students if they are eating peanut butter and all students are asked to wash their hands before and afterward to ensure peanut butter residue will not stay in the classrooms.

Buel said he believed a change could be easily made, given that it would only affect about 20 sandwiches at the school.

“You can’t guarantee that you’re not going to make a mistake and kill this young child,” he said.

Board member Tom Koehler, who seconded Buel's motion, said he didn't hear a strong enough argument about why peanut butter could not be banned at the school.